Eviction Diversion Initiative encourages collaboration to build stronger communities

NCSC and courts partner to achieve long-term housing and financial stability

When a Las Vegas senior citizen fell behind on her rent due to unexpected funeral expenses, court staff referred her to the Las Vegas Justice Court’s eviction diversion program. An onsite social worker helped her apply for a one-time cash assistance program so she should become current on her rent — resulting in a dismissed and sealed eviction case.

Las Vegas is one of 22 courts participating in NCSC’s Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI), a national grant program that helps courts connect landlords and tenants with community resources to reduce preventable evictions and improve housing and financial stability. In a typical year, landlords file 3.6 million eviction cases nationally, according to the Princeton Eviction Lab.

Since 2022, NCSC has worked in 16 states and the District of Columbia to develop court-based eviction diversion programs that use the court process as an opportunity to connect landlords and tenants with stabilizing resources that can prevent or mitigate the harm of eviction. The Las

Vegas Justice Court was awarded $1.25 million to implement a program that adopts a holistic, problem-solving approach that employs social workers who work alongside legal aid attorneys, mediators, and court staff to assist eligible landlords and tenants in resolving their housing disputes in the least harmful way.

The diversion program helps vulnerable tenants — including seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income community members — in housing crises and supports landlords by helping them access rental assistance, reach a negotiated agreement with their tenant, or recover property while giving tenants an opportunity to move out with dignity and without an eviction on their record. The program offers various forms of assistance, including rental and housing support, financial counseling, mediation, job training and placement services, and case management.

Additionally, the Las Vegas court reformed court processes to improve tenant engagement and reduce the number of default judgments. Changes included rewriting eviction notices in plain language, improving self-help and legal resource information, creating an online guided interview tool, and revising the tenant answer form. As a result, tenant response rates increased from less than 25% to over 50% within six months, making more tenants eligible for the diversion program and reducing the number of default eviction judgments.

Because of NCSC’s support of innovative eviction diversion strategies in Las Vegas and other cities across the country, fewer Americans are experiencing the negative impacts of eviction and its related consequences which can negatively impact employment, education, health, and other quality of life factors. Courts and communities are creating lasting change by effectively working together to safeguard housing stability.

Houston/Harris County, Texas

Harris County (Houston), Texas, has seen a surge in eviction filings following the pandemic. In 2023, more than 81,000 eviction cases were filed in Harris County, amounting to over $184 million in claims, according to data from January Advisors. To address this issue, Houston courts sought funding from NCSC’s Eviction Diversion Initiative to hire two full-time eviction resource coordinators. Harris County Justice of the Peace Steve Duble, who presides over an eviction court docket, envisions transforming courts like his into hubs where citizens can connect with various legal, financial, and social services. While eviction diversion programs vary in design and structure, successful programs share a common goal: to create a better court process that provides landlords and tenants with the time, information, and resources necessary to resolve their disputes in the least harmful way possible.

What is an Eviction Diversion Program?

Eviction diversion programs provide landlords and tenants with alternatives to eviction. These programs resolve conflicts between landlords and tenants and connect community members to stabilizing resources with the goal of preventing evictions when possible and mitigating their harm when not.

NCSC’s program funding is provided by the Wells Fargo Foundation.